The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday promised implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and 33% reservation for women in government jobs in Himachal Pradesh if the party is voted back to power in the assembly elections due later this week.
Releasing the ‘Sankalp Patra 2022’ at the party office in Shimla, BJP president JP Nadda also promised an annual amount of ₹3,000 to small farmers, over and above ₹6,000 given to them under a central government scheme
“BJP not only achieved the goals it promised (earlier), it also went beyond delivering what it hadn’t promised in the last five years,” Nadda told a press briefing.
“The first commitment is that the BJP government will bring the UCC here. A committee of experts will be set up and according to their report, the UCC will be implemented in Himachal,” he added. Voting in the state is slated for November 12 and the counting will be held on December 8.
Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, Union minister Anurag Thakur, state BJP president Suresh Kashyap, BJP’s election in-charge for Himachal affairs Saudan Singh, BJP Rajya Sabha member Indu Goswami, Mahila Morcha chief Ritu Sethi and BJP vice-president Payal Vaidya were also present at the manifesto launch.
In its manifesto of 11 commitments, the party promised to link all villages with roads and a programme named “Shakti” to invest ₹12,000 crore in the next 10 years to develop transport and physical infrastructure around religious places.
“All Himachali villages will be connected through pucca and all-weather roads. We will also implement the ‘CM Anna Datta Scheme’ as part of which ₹3,000 each will be transferred directly to the farmers’ accounts. Over nine lakh farmers will benefit from the scheme,” Nadda said.
“The BJP will launch an initiative called ‘Shakti’ to develop infrastructure, transportation around religious places. Remote places will be connected by roads. Five new medical colleges will be established and mobile clinic vans will be doubled,” he added.
The party also promised a survey of Waqf properties, to prevent their “illegal” use, if it is voted back to power.
Releasing a separate manifesto for women, the BJP promised 33% reservation for them in government jobs, three free LPG cylinders to poor women every year and interest-free loans for women entrepreneurs.
“We also promise 33 per cent reservation for women in government jobs and an increase in allocation for girls for marriage from the earlier ₹31,000 to ₹51,000. We will also provide school girls, between classes 6 and 12, bicycles as well as interest-free loans to women entrepreneurs,” the BJP leader said.
“Three free LPG cylinders will be provided per year to poor women. Poor families will be enrolled in Atal Pension Yojana,” he added.
Nadda stressed the sops offered by him cannot be called freebies as there is a fine distinction between empowerment and allurement.
“While the BJP is for empowerment of different segments of society, it is against allurements,” he said, adding it has taken a similar view in its response to a letter by the Election Commission of India (ECI), seeking suggestions of all political parties on a proposal to amend the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and requiring them to furnish details of “financial implications” of promises made in election manifestos.
The ECI’s letter came amid a raging debate on freebies to woo voters and welfare schemes to uplift the poor. Prime Minister Modi’s remarks on ‘revdi’ culture in July triggered the debate on freebies and also led to a political slugfest between the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Nadda criticised the Congress manifesto, which was released on Saturday, saying it lacked both vision and direction.
Chief minister Thakur, who also addressed the media, said: “We have delivered on all the promises made in the manifesto of 2017 and given many benefits to the people of the state over and above the manifesto. If voted back, we will deliver on all our promises unlike the Congress.”
The Congress termed “an election gimmick” BJP’s promise of implementing the UCC in the state.
Asked about Nadda’s announcement (on UCC), Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: “Mr J P Nadda’s party at the national level and at the state level has been in power for eight-plus years and five years, respectively… we are very glad to hear your statement Mr Nadda, why have you not done it for the last eight years and five years, respectively?”
“When he answers that question, then we will give you the answer,” he said, adding everyone understands “election gimmicks”.